Pakistan used ‘spies’, sleeper cells to locate S-400 during Operation Sindoor, was ‘desperate’: Air Marshal

The S-400 ‘Sudarshan’ is a Russian-made air defence missile system which was very crucial in countering missile threats from Pakistan during Operation Sindoor.

Pakistan tried every trick in the book to locate S-400s during Operation Sindoor, including the deployment of ‘spies’ within India, Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra revealed during a recent media interaction as he spoke about how the knowledge to use weaponry was just as important as acquiring them.

The S-400 ‘Sudarshan’ is a Russian-made air defence missile system which was very crucial in countering missile threats from Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, India's military move to avenge the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025.

“The Pakistanis were desperate to find the S-400s during Operation Sindoor and employed all tricks in the book,” the Air Marshal said in an ANI podcast interview.

Air Marshal reveals ‘desperate’ Pak's actions

He said the Pakistan left no stone unturned in its search for the S-400, including the use of air intelligence and Electronic Warfare (EW) systems.

“That (S-400) was the biggest threat as far as they were concerned…they had deployed spies, activated sleeper cells within our country to look for the S-400,” the Air Marshal further said.

The Air Marshal also said: “I'm sure they were also getting satellite help from other countries.”

Also Read: ‘Once the Pakistanis picked up the phone…’: Former CDS Anil Chauhan's 5 big revelations about Operation Sindoor

The Air Marshal also appeared to mock Pakistan for targeting the Adampur airbase without any solid plan, based on the assumption that the S-400 could be there. The airbase was among the IAF bases, including Pathankot, Bathinda and Udhampur, that were targeted by Pakistan on the intervening night of May 9 and 10.

What is the S-400 system?

The S-400 played a pivotal role in the intercepting missiles from Pakistan during Operation Sindoor.

It comprises three main components - missile launchers, a powerful radar, and a command centre, using which it can target several threats from aircraft to missiles.

It can also shoot down threats from a long distance, making it a crucial component in India’s air defence system. It can engage with multiple targets simultaneously, including aircraft, cruise missiles, and even ballistic missiles at varying ranges and altitudes.

Also Read: India didn't target Pakistan's Kirana Hills; loitering munition hit it inadvertently: Ex-CDS Anil Chauhan

As reported in March this year, the fifth S-400 system, which performed admirably during Operation Sindoor, is expected to be shipped to India in November this year.

India has already greenlit acquisition of five more S-400 systems, which have the capability to destroy any aerial target east of Indus in Pakistan with target range touching 400 kilometers.

Poorva Joshi is a Senior Content Producer with nearly five years of experience in journalism. She covers Indian politics and geopolitics, with a focus on diplomatic relations, trade negotiations, and economic policy between countries. She has previously worked at India Today, CNN-News18 and India TV. Over the years, she has reported extensively on major national and international developments, including the Air India plane crash, the Pahalgam terror attack, India–US trade tensions, tensions in the Middle East, high-profile crime stories in India, multiple state Assembly elections, and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. She spearheaded the Bihar Assembly elections live blog, which drew over one million users to the Hindustan Times website. Her reporting on India–US tariff and trade tensions has consistently driven strong readership and engagement for the platform. In addition to reporting, she has spent a significant part of her career leading newsroom shifts, ideating stories, editing and fine-tuning copies, and seeing coverage through from planning to publication, alongside writing original articles. At HT, she received the Insta Award for being the top contributor to the HT News Team in November.Read More